OpenEdge Blog

The Benefits of INTEGRATED Payments – (Part 2 of 2)

Editor’s Note: In order to provide more detail on this topic, the information was provided in a series of two posts, this being the second. There are several unique benefits that come with an integrated payment processing solution – one baked into a merchant’s business management software. In the second part of this commentary, we’ll look at some of the benefits of an integrated solution focused on the partnership.

In last week’s blog, we discussed some of the unique benefits that integrated payment solutions provider, focusing on the security features they deliver. We mentioned the insight a business management software provider brings to the table related to a merchant’s vertical market. We also discussed specific security features of the OpenEdge platform including tokenization of sensitive data.

Today’s commentary looks at the partnership between OpenEdge and your business management software provider and why that relationship should be important to you. Let’s look at some of the key partnership-based benefits that deliver additional value to an integrated payment solution:

A True Understanding of Your Business
Your business management solution provider chose their preferred payment processing partner for several important reasons. More than likely, at the top of that list, is the vertical market expertise demonstrated by the payments provider. Chances are the customer support rep you talk to at OpenEdge already understands your business management software, making problem resolution much easier if ever required.

Many of the key features of our payment processing platform were developed in association with our partners. Our partners regularly work with us to ensure our solutions meet the unique needs of their markets and their customers.

A Shared Desire to Keep You Happy
A client using our payments solution is not only our client but a client of our partner – your business management software provider – as well. Neither provider wants to jeopardize a successful and productive partnership by providing poor service to their client. Many of our partners regularly review support metrics related to their merchant customers to ensure they’re receiving Service Level Agreement support.

Lighten Up Your Contact List
The number of providers and suppliers a business needs to track is voluminous, to say the least. Using a full-featured payments provider such as OpenEdge as part of your business management solution means you can reduce that contact list to two: One for questions related to your day-to-day business software (your business management software provider) and one for all things payments-related (us). Need help with understanding a payments regulation? You can call us. Need help with PCI compliance? That’s us too. Having an issue with an OpenEdge-provided hardware device? Yep – you can call us there too.

You REALLY Get What You Pay For
There are several things I’d rather not buy strictly on price, like parachutes, life rafts or fresh seafood. Most businesses would put their customers’ credit card security on that same list. The cost of providing truly secure, feature-rich, fast and reliable payment processing solutions backed by responsive support is not insignificant. Although we never stop looking for ways to do what we do more economically, we won’t settle for less than the best possible security, reliability, and support. Your software provider has determined the extra value their relationship with OpenEdge delivers is the right solution for their clients, despite the never-ending availability of “cheaper” solutions. Sometimes cost truly is reflective of value.

There is little doubt that a business desiring to process credit cards today has several options. They may vary significantly in price. So, it’s important for a business to understand exactly what they are paying for so they can make the right decision for them. But one thing is clear – the value of an integrated payment processing solution is unique, and it delivers benefits other solutions can’t – at any price.